
Best snow foams 2025
As snow foam's popularity has increased, so has the number of products on offer, to the extent that our usual two-year review cycle can't keep up. So in this mega test we have put 20 through our rigorous process.
We've chosen the most popular sizes, but if you use a lot of foam we'd advise buying in bulk to cut the cost per wash, especially if you order online. So which foams covered themselves in glory, and which were snow good?
We modified the test slightly this year, by applying the products to our Fiat's bodywork direct from a pressure washer's snow foam lance, in carefully masked sections, so we could see the cleaning power and foam levels at the dilutions suggested by the maker's instructions. Advertisement - Article continues below
Once they had been left to dwell for five minutes, we rinsed them off using a normal hose's pressure, and judged the cleaning performance. This was followed by a jet wash's blast to gauge the level of dirt remaining. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below View T-Cross View T-Cross View 2
Each foam was rated for its cleaning ability, ease of use and value for money per wash, based on 250ml of mixture per car. Price: around £9.95
around £9.95 Size: 1 litre
1 litre Cost per wash: 17p
17p Rating: 5 stars
5 stars Contact: bilthamber.com
We have a bit of a love-hate relationship with Bilt-Hamber's Touch-Less. We highly rate the cleaning power and value for money, but are frustrated by the baffling instructions that require at least 20 minutes to follow. We suspect many users won't make the effort, so in addition to following the supplied directions to the letter, we also tried a mix using a simple 1:10 dilution. Both concentrations produced a clinging foam that cut through dirt noticeably better than most rivals here. The value is impressive, too, so Touch-Less takes the win.
Buy now from Amazon Price: around £11.99
around £11.99 Size: 2.5 litres
2.5 litres Cost per wash: 12p
12p Rating: 4.5 stars
4.5 stars Contact: mymotorworld.com
This is the first time we've tried Polar White, and we assumed it would be cheap and cheerful rather than particularly effective. But we were impressed by CarPlan's snow foam. The smallest container available is 2.5 litres, yet it costs less than some rivals' one-litre bottles. This, combined with a 1:9 mix ratio means the cost per wash is the lowest in this test. Despite the dilution and the slightly watery foam it creates, the bright orange, satsuma- scented liquid does the job well when it's left to dwell on the car's paintwork. Advertisement - Article continues below Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below
Buy now from Amazon Price: around £13
around £13 Size: 2.5 litres
2.5 litres Cost per wash: 22p
22p Rating: 4.5 stars
4.5 stars Contact: halfords.com
Our previous winner has fallen down the rankings this year, mainly because its price has leapt up, removing one of the Halfords' key advantages over the Bilt-Hamber and the bargain-priced newcomer from CarPlan. The snow foam has to be mixed at a 1:5 ratio, too, which means it doesn't look as cost- effective on a per wash basis. On the positive side, you're unlikely to need to pay for delivery, because it's available in any Halfords store. Its cleaning power is impressive though, matching the top two competitors here, despite producing a thin foam.
Buy now from Halfords Price: around £5.99
around £5.99 Size: 1 litre
1 litre Cost per wash: 14p
14p Rating: 4.5 stars
4.5 stars Contact: mymotorworld.com
The Vortex Blast appears to be closely related to the second-placed CarPlan product in terms of its active ingredients and formulation, but it is a vivid pink colour and has a different candyfloss aroma. It's the cheapest foam in this test and has an economical 1:9 dilution ratio, but is beaten for value by CarPlan. The Triplewax cleans just as well though, so it might make sense if you are an occasional user or short on shelf space. Advertisement - Article continues below Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below
Buy now from Amazon Price: around £12.95
around £12.95 Size: 1 litre
1 litre Cost per wash: 32p
32p Rating: 4.5 stars
4.5 stars Contact: angelwax.co.uk
Despite the name, Angelwax's Fastfoam is designed to be left to dwell for 10 minutes – the longest of any product in this test. The cleaning ability is on par with the Bilt-Hamber product, even at the suggested 1:9 dilution rate. The Angelwax only loses out on a higher placing due to the cost per wash. Buying a bigger five-litre bottle makes it much better value, at 15p per clean.
Buy now from Amazon
We've previously tried Squid Ink's alkaline Alka Froth, so were keen to try the less aggressive Froth, which is safe to use with wax coatings. It works out at a pricey 50p per wash at the maker's suggested 1:9 dilution, but the foam it creates is too thick. We dialled the mix back to 1:19 and it was just right, cleaning just as well as at the lower ratio.
Buy now from Amazon Price: around £15.99
around £15.99 Size: 1 litre
1 litre Cost per wash: 57p
57p Rating: 4 stars
4 stars Contact: hydrouk.co
This is designed to be used in our Product of the Year-winning manual foam sprayer. We tried it both in the Hydro sprayer and in a pressure-washer lance. Both created a thick blanket of 'snow', which faded fast but did a good job of dissolving dirt.The Hydro Snow misses out here mainly because of the high price, but getting it in a Hydro bundle deal will bring the cost down. Price: around £23.99
around £23.99 Size: 2.5 litres
2.5 litres Cost per wash: 40p
40p Rating: 4 stars
4 stars Contact: autoglym.com Advertisement - Article continues below Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below
The Polar Blast is designed to be used as part of a three-part cleaning process using Autoglym's other Polar Products, which can also be delivered through a snow-foam lance.
It is effective at cleaning even on its own and produces a lovely layer of foam at the suggested 1:5 rate. But the Polar Blast is too expensive to be in with a chance of a win here.
Buy now from Amazon Price: around £6
around £6 Size: 500ml
500ml Cost per wash: 14p
14p Rating: 3.5 stars
3.5 stars Contact: morethanpolish.com
The low purchase price initially looks to be offset by the small 500ml bottle, but the Race Glaze claws back an advantage with a very frugal 1:20 dilution rate, giving it one of the lowest cost-per-washes of any in this test. The initial foam has a fruity smell, but the aroma and suds fade fast. While the cleaning power is good, it's not a match for the best products in this test. Price: around £13.99
around £13.99 Size: 1 litre
1 litre Cost per wash: 35p
35p Rating: 3.5 stars
3.5 stars Contact: gtechniq.co.uk
Although the W4 liquid is surprisingly thick before it's mixed, the watery foam it produces is an anticlimax. It creates a pleasant scent though, which is partly due to the natural citrus degreasing ingredients, which keep the foam pH neutral. This helped GTECHNIQ clean some of our dirt easily, but it struggled with dried-on debris. Advertisement - Article continues below Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below
Buy now from Amazon Price: around £17
around £17 Size: 1 litre
1 litre Cost per wash: 28p
28p Rating: 3 stars
3 stars Contact: dodojuice.com
While it looks expensive, at £17 for a one-litre bottle, the Dodo Juice's instructions suggest a dilution ratio of between 1:9 and 1:19 depending on how dirty your car is. We tried it at 1:14, which gave a reasonable cost per wash.The foam is thick, but isn't pH neutral, so it will strip off wax coatings and may damage delicate trims.
Buy now from Amazon
The Magifoam's instructions say you should pour two inches of the liquid into an Autobrite snow-foam lance. Given that this wasn't available at the time of testing – and we'd imagine people will have their own already – we had to guess at the required dilution, settling on 1:5. This gave a reasonable result, but there were no outstanding scores.
Buy now from Amazon Price: around £17.50
around £17.50 Size: 1 litre
1 litre Cost per wash : 73p
: 73p Rating: 3 stars
3 stars Contact: cleanandshiny.co.uk
We really liked the Gyeon – until we entered the costs into the spreadsheet and saw its overall score tumble. It's had a price increase since we last tested it, too. When using the suggested 1:5 dilution ratio for Q2M FOAM, it works out at 73p per wash, which is simply too high to be offset by the dense foam created and the strong cleaning performance. Advertisement - Article continues below Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below
Buy now from Amazon Price: around £10.99
around £10.99 Size: 500ml
500ml Cost per wash: 55p
55p Rating: 3 stars
3 stars Contact: cargods.com
The satsuma-scented Arctic Storm has an artificial-smelling citrus aroma, and the neon orange liquid creates a watery white foam with fairly efficient cleaning power, even at the suggested 1:9 mix ratio. But it doesn't do anything the similarly scented CarPlan can't – and that costs less than a quarter of the price.
Buy now from Amazon
In our last test we tried Duel's other snow foam, called Assault, so we were keen to sample the pH neutral and wax-friendly Engage. When mixed at the suggested dilution ratio of 1:4, it produced a satisfying covering of suds, which clung to the car for several minutes before fading. However, Duel Engage is simply much too expensive to do well in this test.
Buy now from Amazon Price: around £7.95
around £7.95 Size: 500ml
500ml Cost per wash: 36p
36p Rating: 2.5 stars
2.5 stars Contact: vp-uk.co.uk
Newcomer VP's foam looks reasonable value for money, especially because it is formulated to be used at a 1:10 dilution rate. Rather than being pH neutral, it is strongly alkaline, meaning it needs to be treated with respect on coatings that have been applied to a car's paintwork, as well as delicate materials. It didn't clean well enough to make this caution worthwhile. Price: around £7.50
around £7.50 Size: 1 litre
1 litre Cost per wash: 19p
19p Rating: 2.5 stars
2.5 stars Contact: diy.com Advertisement - Article continues below Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below
This own-brand product from the B&Q chain is cheap to buy, especially if you pick it up with your other DIY materials rather than pay for postage. With a 1:9 dilution level for the odourless liquid, this foam is economical, too, and the instructions helpfully suggest the amount of capfuls needed to measure the mix. Yet the weak foam produced had a mediocre cleaning ability. Price: around £9.99
around £9.99 Size: 500ml
500ml Cost per wash: 50p
50p Rating: 2.5 stars
2.5 stars Contact: liquiduk.com
There is a lot to like about the Liquidtech Snow Foam. The squirty lid is easier to use with wet hands than a screw top, and the cherry scent is pleasant. The Liquidtech produces a respectable level of foam from the gun, too. But the cost per wash is high, and the actual cleaning performance is disappointing.
Buy now from Amazon Price: around £8.99
around £8.99 Size: 500ml
500ml Cost per wash: 41p
41p Rating: 2.5 stars
2.5 stars Contact: tetrosyl.com
We liked the Wipeout's easy-to-use pop top, and the flexibility to vary the dilution based on the muckiness of the vehicle to be washed. We tried it at the suggested 5:1 ratio for a heavy soil, and the result was only middling. The company makes other foams with more bite, but they aren't pH neutral and will strip wax coatings.
Buy now from Amazon Price: around£10.49
around£10.49 Size: 500ml
500ml Cost per wash: 87p
87p Rating: 2.5 stars
2.5 stars Contact: diamondbrite.shop
The bottle claims the Diamondbrite is 'super concentrated', but it actually needs double the amount of the front runners in this test.That means you'll end up paying a whopping 87p per wash. The cleaning performance was disappointing, too, so we hope that the ceramic ingredients may add unseen protection in the longer term.
Buy now from Amazon
Bilt-Hamber's Touch-Less is back on top. Look past the baffling instructions and it offers great cleaning at a low cost. Second place goes to a surprise newcomer: CarPlan's Polar White. It doesn't have quite the power of the Bilt-Hamber, but is unbeatable value for money. The final podium place goes to our previous champ, Halfords' Advanced HP. It's still a great product, but a price rise has hit its scores.
Looking to make your car shine like new? Then look at our best power car polishers page... Range Rover Sport SV gets massive £35k price drop as it enters series-production
Range Rover Sport SV gets massive £35k price drop as it enters series-production
There's also a new SV Black trim, and a Range Rover Sport Stealth Package for non SVs Arrivederci Roma: new Ferrari Amalfi slots in as brand's latest entry-level model
Arrivederci Roma: new Ferrari Amalfi slots in as brand's latest entry-level model
A slick new look and more power are the headlines for Ferrari's new baby, but it's probably some simple new buttons that will get customers' attention Geely is coming to the UK, and its assault will start with EX5 SUV
Geely is coming to the UK, and its assault will start with EX5 SUV
Geely has looked to Lotus to ensure it's new electric SUV lives up to our driving expectations
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


BBC News
36 minutes ago
- BBC News
Record growth of Chinese cars in UK
One in 10 cars sold in the UK in June were made in China, according to the latest industry Chinese brands such as BYD, Jaecoo and Omoda are growing rapidly in the has been a particular surge over the past few months, at a time when most other G7 countries have levied significant extra tariffs against their 18,944 cars made by Chinese-owned brands, including MG and Polestar, were sold in June, which is 10% of overall UK sales, according to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). That is up from 6% in the same month a year ago. Across the first half of this year, more than 8% - or 1 in 12 - cars sold were Chinese, up from 5% in 2023 and 2024. This was mainly but not exclusively electric industry grandees have warned that the UK industry will struggle to compete, and Britain might have to introduce quotas. Chinese firms and their franchises have been buying up car showrooms."Chinese manufacturers are producing cars which are better, cheaper and more innovative in every sector of the market," said John Neill, former SMMT President and ex-chief executive of Unipart."If they are going to sell here we are going to have to get the Chinese to manufacture here."The government has so far faced little pressure from existing suppliers on copying the tariffs imposed by the EU, US, and Canada on electric cars. The majority of EU member states backed big taxes being imposed on imports of EVs from China, which can be as high as around 45%, and Canada announced its imposition of a 100% tax on Chinese made EU and China are in negotiations to replace the tariff with a minimum price Chinese manufacturers are also in the process of opening factories in the EU which could export across Europe including the UK SMMT said that one in four buyers of new cars in the UK are now purchasing electric cars - although the transition to electric has been driven by "unsustainable" discounting by manufacturers, says Mike Hawes, the SMMT's chief executive."As we have seen in other countries, government incentives can supercharge the market transition," he said.


Times
an hour ago
- Times
George Russell: Mum kept notes on my career but Dad was angry and tough
George Russell has just climbed out of a Mercedes-Benz W196, which won the British Grand Prix in 1955 and is valued at £55million. Once, it would have been Lewis Hamilton representing Mercedes at a celebration of their motorsport heritage. Now it is Russell, stepping into those shoes on and off the track. The flimsy old leather helmet he tries on may not quite fit but there is a sense of the old-fashioned about Russell, as though he could have driven in that era. The idea of doing so came to mind as he traversed part of the old Aintree circuit. 'I just can't comprehend that those guys raced that car up to 180 miles an hour, sat on 200 litres of fuel, no seat belts, barely a helmet,' he tells The Times. 'If you bump into anyone, basically your legs are off. We're not naive to the fact that the sport [now] is dangerous. You crash at 220 miles an hour and it doesn't matter how safe the cars are, the body can only take so much. 'But 99 per cent of the time you should walk away relatively unscathed, whereas back then, knowing that if you made a mistake, that could be your life. Thinking how you push those boundaries is pretty unique.' At Silverstone, where Russell will attempt to secure his first home grand prix win this weekend, the sense of history is everywhere. Some tracks he visits over the course of a Formula 1 season are 'soulless', he admits. Not here. 'It's so fast and flowing, the commitment you need to have when you go through Copse, Maggots and Becketts, now we go through that corner at 185 miles an hour, it's immense — coupled with the fact that the fans are purists and love the sport. When you see others who love the sport you love in the same regard, it makes it feel extra special,' he adds. Unsurprisingly, this grand prix is one that would mean the most to Russell to win. He first went to a race here in 2009, standing on the outside of Copse. He watched Sebastian Vettel on pole and knew that was his future aim. Last year he qualified on pole but hopes of converting that into a victory on the Sunday were abruptly ended by a water leak which caused him to retire on lap 34. Hamilton, his then team-mate, claimed an emotional victory, ending a 945-day wait for a win. 'I was genuinely very happy to see Lewis win that race for everything he'd been through,' Russell says, putting his own personal disappointment aside for a second. In motorsport, he knows there is very little room for sentiment. The relationships between drivers and their fathers are often very complex and for Russell and his dad, Steve, it was no different. 'I never saw my dad Monday to Friday because he was working, he'd leave before I woke up,' he says. 'I was in bed by the time he got back. At the weekends, unless we won, the relationship with him was quite tough, because he was so hard on me. For probably five to ten years of my life our relationship wasn't great, but you don't really comprehend why. You don't understand the context. 'He only wanted the best for me but if he saw that I wasn't giving it my all, no wonder he was getting stressed and angry at me, because he was sacrificing his whole time to give me this opportunity. 'My father was my mechanic, my driver-coach. My mother wrote down all of these set-ups and the lap times of every single track . . .' Russell pauses, taking out his phone to show The Times a page of his mother's notebook. 'This is from 2009,' he explains. 'She would write down: the first heat 2.15pm, the engine, the carburetor, the sprocket, the weather, the track conditions. We would have over 40 weekends a year.' The notebook was discovered as his parents went back to a circuit in Wales, Glan Y Gors, 15 years later. They were with Russell's nephew, who is just beginning his karting journey. In 2014 Russell had won the British Formula 4 championship and was nominated for the McLaren Autosport BRDC (British Racing Drivers' Club) award. He won it after the rules for the competition had to be changed to allow him to compete, because he was so young. There was zero interest from Formula 1 teams at that stage, and his dad warned him he needed to find a way forward because the money had ran out. Eventually it was Toto Wolff and Mercedes who secured his future, after Russell had emailed the Mercedes team principal and then later showed him a PowerPoint presentation listing the reasons he could be a success for the team in the future. Now 27, Russell and Wolff have reached another crossroads in their respective careers. The British driver's contract runs out at the end of the season and as yet a new one hasn't been presented to him. Wolff has admitted to discussions with the four-times world champion Max Verstappen. 'From my side, I know I'll be on the grid next year in Formula 1 — I'm not concerned at all,' Russell, who joined Mercedes from Williams in 2022, says. 'Why wouldn't any team want Verstappen in their race seat? But, ultimately, in F1 there are two race seats for every team, and then each team would have to decide which driver they put to one side. 'I'm performing to the best I've ever performed in Formula 1. If that's the route they decide to go down with signing one of the greatest of all time, I'm confident I'd be his team-mate.' Russell has good reason to think he could compete, pointing out that Hamilton was at a similar stage of his career when he became his team-mate three years ago. In that debut season the younger man outscored the seven-times world champion by 35 points. As of yet, Mercedes have not provided Russell with a car to challenge for a world title. He jokes that he reminds Lando Norris and Alex Albon that he bettered them both in Formula 2 to claim the title and there is a sense he is simply waiting for the opportunity to show his full potential on the grandest stage. This weekend would not be a bad time to do so — in a Mercedes that seems to love the great British summer, performing best in temperatures when Wolff is required to wear a pullover. Qualifying, Saturday 3pmRace, Sunday 3pmTV: Sky Sports F1


BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
Stoke-on-Trent-based Prohire Limited falls into administration
A fleet vehicle hire business has gone into administration with the loss of almost 80 Limited, based in Fenton, based in Stoke-on-Trent, had a fleet of up to 3,400 vehicles, from cars to trailers and company had faced "liquidity challenges" over several years and had not been able to find funding to continue trading, administrators EY-Parthenon addition to Stoke-on-Trent, Prohire also had a secondary base in Tunbridge Wells. A small number of employees were being kept on in Fenton to help wind the business up, but regrettably, the majority had been made redundant with immediate effect, the administrators the 80 employees across the contract hire, fleet management and rental services business, 57 people worked in those affected were being offered appropriate support and advice, said added the company had stopped providing services while they looked at the possibility of moving existing contracts with customers and vehicle funders to new providers. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.